Dayid mcfall



(No Model.)

D4. MOFALL.

CENTER BOARD FOR VESSEL S.

m 1 I 0 I I I I Q 0 Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

INVENTOR I ATTORNEYS.

n PETERS. Pnnwumn n nu, Wuhingtnm ac UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID MCFALL, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

CENTER-BOARD FO-R VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,117, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed June 15, 1886. Serial No. 205,226. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID MoFALL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Center-Boards and Means for Operating Them, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to center-boards for vessels and means for operating them, and has for its object to providea simple, inexpensive, and efficient center-board rig which allows the center-board to be almost instantly set and removed as sailing conditions and :emergencies may require, and also allows the operation of the centerboard by a helmsman at the stern of the vessel.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the center-board rig, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of a vessel to which my improved center-board and operating devices are applied, the mast and sail of the boat being shown only in part. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional elevation, in larger size, of the center-board supports and part of the board and vessel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the screw-joint between the center-board and one of its supporting-rods. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line new of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the port side of the stern of the vessel. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the hull of the vessel, and illustrates also the manner of staying the tubular supports of the center-board rods; and Figs. 6 and 7 show modifications of the invention, and will be hereinafter particularly referred to.

The hull A of the vessel may have any size and model suitable for a center-board boat. At the center-board the vessels keel is shown made in two parts, a a, between which the side planks, c of the hull are or may be held, as in Figs. 3 and 5, and to the lower part, a, of the keel there is fixed a metal shoe or plate, B, which has a longitudinally-ranging slot or groove, 1), in its lower face, in which slot the upper edge of the center-board O fits snugly.

Hollow metal plugs D D, each having a fixed collar or shoulder, d, at its lower end, are passed upward through the keel of the vessel, and the upper ends of these plugs are screwthreaded externally to receive a screw-collar or nipple, E,which, when screwed home, draws the shoulder d of the plug D-tightly to the bottom of the keel, and also clamps the two parts a a of the keel together, and all with Water-tight joints, which prevents leakage into the vessel around the centerboard supports. The screw-collars E project above the plugs D to receive the lower threaded ends of tubes F, (shown only in Figs. 1, 2, 2, 3, and 5 of the drawings,) said tubes F being only long enough to give substantial lateral support to rods G G, the lower ends of which are screwed into head pieces or thimbles c c, which are fixed to the upper edge of the center-board. These thiinbles e have shoulders or collars c, which'fit tightly to thelower ends of the plugs D when the center-board is in place.

To the tops of the rods G- Gr there are attachcd chains or ropes H H, which are guided over blocks h h, journaled to arms or brackets h, fixed to the heads of the tubes F, and these chains both are carried backward within easy reach of the helinsman, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, suitable cleats being pro vided to which the ropes may be fastened by the helmsman when the center-board is in place for service to hold it there.

A chain or rope, I, is attached to the upper rear part of the center-board O and extends to and over a block, j, on the arm of a crane, J, which is hung in eyes or staples fixed to the stern of the vessel. (See Figs. 1 and 4.) From the block j the chain I extends forward to the helmsman, who fastens it to a conveniently-located chock on the boat. If preferred, a second chain or line, K, may be attached to the forward end of the center-board and be can ried forward and through a block, 7.-,0n' the vessels bows, and thence rearward to the helmsman, to be fastened by him like the chain I.

The object of these chain-connections I K is to allow the center-board to be hauled aboardship, as hereinafter more fully explained. The crane J is not in the way of the vessels rudder L or rudder-arm Z. When the crane J is out of use, it may be swung around to the stern of the vessel, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Stay-rods M, connected to collars m, fixed to the tops of the tubes F F and to the sides of the hull of the Vessel, firmly brace the tubes against leaning over in any direction and also brace the boat, and these rods M may have turn-buckles m, for straining them up tightly at any time required.

The above detailed description refers more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings, and to which only the next following statement of the operation of the centerboard will apply.

We will suppose the center-board C is set for use as in Fig. 1 and held by the chains H H. Should the helmsman wish the vessel to drift or make leeway with the tide or current, he will unfasten the chains H and let the center-board fall away some little distance from the keel of the vessel, and thus become inoperative, and to set the board again for service the helmsnlan will draw the chains H up again to enter the rods G into their tubular guides D F and draw the center-board snugly to the keel-shoe B and make the chains fast to the chock as at first. Should the center-board run hard aground and hold the boat fast, the rods G will be unscrewed by the helmsman 'from the center-board thimbles c, and the boat will be free, and if the center-board is not recovered a new center-board carried in the boat may be quickly and easily set by running lines through the tubular supports F' D into the water and letting them float astern where they maybe caught, and chains H, pulled through the supports F D by the lines, may be connected to the ends of the rods G of the new center-board, which then may be hauled beneath the vessel, and the rods G will enter the tubes D F, and the new center-board may then be hauled up to the keel and the chains H made fast at the chock. If at any time the center-board is not needed, the helmsman will slack off the chains H, and the center-board will fall from the keel, and may then be pulled astern by hauling on the chain I, to lift the center-board by the crane J, and the board may then be lifted into the boat. If the chain K be connected to the center-board, the boa-rd may be hauled up by it at the vessels bows.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings the screw-rods G and thimbles c are .substituted by stems N, fixedto the centerboard 0, and having tapering heads or fitting tapering recesses or sockets made in the plugs D, the chains Hin this case being connected directly to the heads a, and the tubes F serving as guides to the chains which run aft, as hereinbefore described.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings the plugs D, collars E, and tubes F are made somewhat larger in diameter than corresponding parts in Fig. 2, and extra tubes, 0, are placed within the tubes F and plugs D. The lower ends of tubes 0 are intern ally screwthreaded, to engage externally-threaded stems p on head-pieces P, fixed to the center-board. The tops of these tubes 0 have collars 0, having apertures to receive a bar, by which the tubes may be turned for screwing the stems 19 up into the lower ends of the tubes, and thereby drawing the top of the center-board snugly to the keel-shoe Bv after the board has beendrawn by the chains H, which are connected to the screwstems p of the center-board and run through the tubes 0. In this instance the tubes F are passed downward through a deck or seat plank, R, and have top shoulders or collars, f, which are clamped tightlyto the plank B, when the tubes are screwed home in the collars E, connecting them with the keelplugs D. The center-board guides in this case are held securely at top and bottom without the aid of braces M. Should the center-board run hard aground, thetubes 0 will be unscrewed from the center-board stems p, and the chains or lines H will be slackened, and the center-board will then be hauled up at the stern or bow by the chains, and the chains may be detached from the board, and floats may then be connected to the ends of the detached chains, which will be drawn up through the tubes 0, until the floats close the bottom of the tubes, and no chains or lines will be left dragging in the water.

It is obvious that a center-board, made and fitted to a vessel, as above described, can be set or removed readily, and the trunk inclosing the common pivoted center-board is dispensed with, and thekeel of the vessel is not weakened, and the vessel is not so liable to leak as when the .trunk is used. Furthermore, the improved center-board rig is not expensive, and may be fitted to vessels of any size.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In center-board rigs, the combination, with the vessel and center-board, of a yoke or plate on the vessel-keel, and provided with a longitudinal slot in its lower face, guide rods or pins held to the top of the center-board, guides on the vessellto receive and support said rods or pins, and chains connected to the rods or pins, and adapted to draw the cent'er-board within the keelyoke slot, substantially as described, for the purposes set'forth.

2. In center -board rigs, the combination, with the vessel A and center-board G, of hollow plugs D D, fitted in the vessels keel,and

' provided with collars orshoulders. d" and screw- IIO threaded at their upper ends, nuts or collars,

as at E, screwed to plugs D above the keel, to clamp its timbers together and hold the plugs to place, rods or pins on the center-board entering the plugs D, and chains connected to said rods orpins and adapted for operation of the center-board, substantially as shown and described.

3. In center-board rigs, the combination,

with the vessel A and center-board 0, provided with screw-threaded stems c c, of rods G G, supported in guides on the vessel, and screwed at their lower ends to the stems c c,

substantially as described, for the purposes set 5. In center-board rigs, the combination, forth. with a vessel, A, and center-board O, fitted 4. In center-board rigs, the combination, with guide rods or pins, and tubular guides 1 with the vessel A, and center-board 0, having in the vessel for said rods or pins, of stay rods 5 guide-rods G, of hollow plugs D, set in the vesor braces M, connecting the guides to each selskeel, and provided withlowershoulders or other and to the vessel, substantially as shown collars, d, screw-collars E on plugs D, above the and described. keel. tubes F, screwed to collars E as upper guides to the rods G, and chains H, connected DAVID MOFALL' 10 to rods G and adapted for operation'of the Witnesses:

center-board, substantially as shown and de- HENRY L. GooDWIN,

scribed. O. SEDGWICK. 

